Back To How We Used To Be
by HyPeR-PiPeR-312
Summary: PL. Piper, a 25 year old, leads a pretty boring life. However, when a high school friend comes back into her life, things change.
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer: **Nooo!!! I do NOT own Charmed! But I'm honoured that you think I did!

**A/N: **Okay... This is a Piper/Leo fic. Utterly and completely Piper/Leo. I have no intention whatsoever of breaking them up...yet... Mwhahaha! Nah... Just read on...

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Chapter 1:

Piper Halliwell pushed the covers away from her body and slowly sat up. She rubbed her eyes as her feet tried finding her slippers. It was a Saturday morning. A beautiful Saturday morning. One which was perfect to sleep in. Instead, she had woken up to a crying baby. Cursing under her breath, she made her way into the room across the hall and walked towards the crib next to the bed. She leant over it, looking at the one-year-old, and picked him up.

"It's okay. It's okay." She tried soothing him, but he wouldn't stop crying. As she hummed something to calm him down, the sleeping boy in the bed started stirring. He turned over and faced Piper.

"Hi, Aunt Piper." He yawned and sat up, kicking the covers away.

"Hello, Dan. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah. I did!" He looked at the baby and added, "until Dylan woke me up."

"I guessed. He woke me up too. But now that we're up, wanna have breakfast?"

"Okay!"

They walked into the kitchen and Piper looked at the round white clock hanging over the table. It was 9'30? She was going to kill her sisters. She had been working lots lately, and missing a lot of sleep. For once, she had a free weekend, meaning she could sleep in. Her plans had been crashed when her sisters rang the doorbell on Friday night. They were going to be away for the weekend. Meaning that their single sibling had to keep their kids for a while. She SO needed to find herself a guy.

Setting her nephew on the highchair, she walked over to the cupboard and started preparing breakfast. When she was done, she carried the plates and mugs to the table, where her impatient nephew, Daniel, was waiting.

"Auntie Piper..."

"Yes?" She turned to look at him. His big green eyes were covered by his too-long dark hair, so he blew it off. Not succeeding in keeping it away from his eyes, he used his small hands to hold it at both sides of his head. He plastered a smile on his face and Piper knew he wanted something.

"Can we go to the paaaaaaark?"

"I don't know, sweetie... Your cousin here seems to be a little fussy today..."

"Please? I haven't been there in a long time!"

"Okay..." She turned to Dylan, who was giggling as he dropped his hand on the small plate. "Oh, Dylan! Look what you did!" She started cleaning his face and hands and asked him in a baby voice, "Do you want to go to the park?"

In response, he started giggling hysterically and Daniel looked at his aunt.   
"That means yes!" He stated, nodding.

"Okaay... We'll go to the park..."

"YAY! You're the best auntie ever!" He ran over to her and hugged her.

"Are you done with breakfast?"

"Yes! Can I go get ready?" He asked eagerly.

"Wait until I do the dishes." She got up and took the plates to the sink.

"Whyyyyyy?" He whined.

"Because, even if you get ready now, we won't be leaving until I am done with the housework." She looked back and glanced at the six-year-old. He was leaning against the table, sitting on the chair, his folded arms resting on the flat surface, and he was pouting. "It's no use. Now sit there and talk to your cousin."

"But...But...But all he says is stupid things. He doesn't make sense!" He looked up. His puppy dog eyes always worked on his parents. As Piper looked back to the sink and started washing, he knew that the trick didn't work with his aunt. "You are a meanie!"

"Go watch some cartoons."

"I don't like cartoons."

"Yes you do. You were watching some last night."

"But-"

"No buts, Daniel. Let me finish doing this."

Frowning, he jumped to the floor from the wooden chair and walked towards the living room, where sat on the dark green couch and turned on the television.

* * *

"Be careful, Dan!" Piper let her nephew run over to the swings as she sat down on a bench, the stroller next to her. She kept pulling faces, making the little boy laugh. She bent down and kissed his forehead. Standing up, she walked over to the small slide while pushing the stroller. She picked Dylan up and sat him on the top of the slide. Holding his hands, she slid him all the way to the bottom. The boy laughed and she laughed too. She placed him at the top again and slid him down to the end. "Do you wanna try the swings, sweetie?" She walked over to the stroller, and pushed it over to the swings, where she sat her nephew.

* * *

When Dylan started to get fussy, Piper picked him up and walked over to the bench, where she sat down and started tickling the one-year-old. She looked around the park and spotted Dan running around. He caught her looking at him, grinned and waved. She waved back, smiling at him.

"That's a very cute kid. Is he yours?"

She turned around; wanting to know who the voice belonged to. The Sun was right behind him, so she couldn't really see his face. But the voice seemed familiar. Too familiar.

"Leo Wyatt! I thought I'd never see you again."

"Ditto, Piper. I see life has treated you alright..." he said, gesturing towards the stroller.

"Oh... No, Leo... He's...He's just my nephew."

"Prue's?"

"No... That boy over at the swings is Prue's kid. This is Phoebe's."

"Phoebe? I never thought she'd settle down and have a kid."

"So did I... But enough about my sisters. How have YOU been? It's been...what? Seven years since you left for college?"

"Yeah... Seven years. It seems such a long time ago. I missed you."

"I missed you too... So... You finished college, right?"

"Yeah... I'm a doctor. And what about you? You graduated?"

"Yup!" She paused and looked at him. He had sat down next to her and she moved closer to him and hugged him. "I can't believe you're back."

"Well... I was offered to work over here... So... I thought maybe you still lived here... And I took the job."

"And... you got a place to stay?"

"Um... yeah... I'm staying at a hotel until I find a proper place."

"You can always stay at my house... It's not big but I've got plenty of rooms free... I live alone..." She looked into his eyes, those piercing greenish eyes of his, and thought of the time when they were in high school.

"Auntie... I'm hungry..." Piper looked up at her nephew and then at Leo. "Auntie... Who is this man?"

"Dan, this is Leo, a very good friend of mine. An old friend. Leo, this is Prue's son."

"You know my mom?" Daniel's eyes opened wide at the mere thought of this man being friends with his mother. He had never seen him before.

"Yes I do, Daniel!"

"Oh..." Then he turned back to look at Piper, pleading with his eyes. "Piper... I'm hungryyyy!!"

"Okay, Dan. I got it. Let's go home, okay?"

"Okay!"

Piper stood up and ran her hand through her hair; she looked at Leo and asked, "wanna join us?"

He smiled.

"No, thanks. I think I'd better go to the hotel and sort out some of my stuff..."

"You mean you're gonna PACK your stuff, right?" He looked at her, clearly showing that he wasn't meaning that. "I think I made it clear that you're staying at my house."

"I had forgotten how stubborn you can be..."

Piper looked at him and stuck her tongue out.

* * *

It was night time and Piper was putting Dylan to bed when the phone started ringing.

"Dan! Can you get that?"

"Sure, Auntie!"

As she placed a sleepy Dylan in the crib, she caught a glimpse of the conversation that Dan was having with who appeared to be his mother.

"Yes, mommy! Auntie Piper took me to the park! And...And...And she made pasta for lunch! And I met her friend! He's very nice. Yes. He's your friend too. Wait one minute, mommy." He looked at the doorway and saw Piper standing there, leaning against the doorframe, her arms folded over her chest. "Mommy wants to talk to you." He handed her the receiver and walked away, flopping himself onto the couch and turning on the TV.

"Hi, Prue! Yeah... He's been really nice. No... Prue! No, not a boyfriend. It's just...umm... Leo... Yeah... Met him at the park. He's staying at my house for a while. Uh huh... You're back tomorrow? Okay... Good night, sis! Luv ya!"

She hung up the phone and walked over to her nephew.

"Dan... Sweetheart... It's late... Why don't you go to bed?"

"I'm...I'm not tired!" He opened his eyes widely. "See? I'm awake!" He tried stifling a yawn, but Piper caught him.

"Okay. Go to bed. Come on. One, two. One, two." She pulled him up and guided him over to the bedroom door. "Come on, please... Danny... Just go to bed. I'm going to bed soon... Just as soon as my friend comes over. Okay?"

"Okay..." Reluctantly, he walked over to his bed and pulled back the covers, freeing himself from the socks and getting into bed. "Good night, auntie Piper."

"Good night, sweetie," she said from the doorway and turned off the light.

* * *

Piper was sitting on the couch, sideways, a glass of wine in her hand. Leo was sitting across her, holding an identical glass. They had been talking for some time, about their lives, about their families, their problems,... And, when they both realised, the conversation had turned to their relationship. Piper knew that, deep inside, she still loved Leo. She always had and always would. But it wasn't that easy.

"So after I left... Why did we lose contact?"

"I don't know... College kept us both so busy... I guess the lack of time and the distance just made us forget about each other..."

"I never forgot about you... I always thought about phoning, about writing a letter... Something... But something always turned up..." He looked at the glass in his hands. "I regret not having kept in touch..."

"Me too..." Truth was, they had never really broken up. They just stopped talking to each other. And other guys came and left. But none of them had been like Leo. She had been looking for someone who behaved like him. But all of them, they were either just good looking or just plain old gentlemen. None of them had both qualities. None of them had been able to fill that void. And that was where she missed Leo.

"We...We never really broke up, did we?" he asked, slowly. She shook her head in response, and looked up at him. "So... That means we are sort of...still...together?"

"I don't know, Leo... I... I have been with other guys after you left..."

He looked slightly taken aback by this, but nodded. "I have been in some relationships too... But none of them can compare to what I had with you..."

"Leo... I... I know... I went through the same... But I think... I don't think we can take it from where we left... I mean... We... We have been talking all night about our lives... But there's still some things that I think we need to find out about each other... My life has changed since I was 17... And there's no doubt that yours has changed too..."

"I know... And I agree... I... I just missed you so much... I wanted to see you..."

"I missed you too... More than you can imagine..." She took a sip of her glass and looked at him. Her brown eyes locked with his, and she felt the wine playing with her senses and feelings. Was it the wine, or was the distance between them decreasing? She felt herself leaning in; in no time she could feel his breath on her and his hand holding hers. Slowly, their lips met. It was a soft kiss which could've turned into a passionate one if it wasn't for Piper. She found herself kissing her best friend, after all these years, and broke the kiss. She looked at the glass in her hands and, with her finger, traced its border as she whispered, "I'm sorry..."

"No... I'm sorry... I... I pushed you into doing that... I was just so...happy to have you back in my life..." He looked at her and cupped her face with his hand. "Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know... I suggest we...take it slowly... You know... I still want to get used to you being around..."

"Yeah... I have to get used to being around you..." he added, a grin on his face.

"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, pretending to be hurt, as she slapped his arm.

"Nothing, nothing!" They stayed silent for a beat until he found his voice. "Where...where's my room?"

"I'll show you in a sec." He handed her the glass and she took it, walking towards the kitchen. She placed the glasses in the sink and walked back to the living room, where Leo had already stood up and was looking around. "Come here..."

He walked over to her and she walked along the small corridor and into a room right next to hers.

"This is the place."

"Thanks for offering me a place to stay."

"Well... My house is always available to friends... And you're my best friend..."

"I hope I'm something more..."

"Leo..."

"Yeah, sorry... Night, Piper."

"Night."

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**A/N:** Okay... So that was pretty long... And I want to know if I should continue and what you think of this thing... So review, review, review!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Oh no you can't be doing this to me! But...I... Didn't I make it clear in the previous chapter? Oh man! Do you really think something has changed in the time that has passed between the two updates? Okay... I-Do-Not-Own-Charmed! There! Happy?

**A/N:** Okay... So here's chapter 2... Just wrote it last night... And this is the farthest I've gotten with this story... So don't hold your breath for a quick update after this, cuz my end of term exams are coming up... That means lots of studying... Lots of studying means no time to write... No time to write means no update... But I'll write more as soon as I get a free hour...

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Chapter 2:

It was 8'30 and Piper was sitting down on a cold wooden chair in her kitchen. A steaming dark red mug was in front of her, and she kept stirring the coffee absent-mindedly as her left elbow rested on the table and her hand supported her head. Yawning, she shivered and looked around. Dylan had woken up at 7'30, and cried, screamed and sobbed until Piper ran into the room and picked him up. She was shocked at the little guy's lung capacity. How could such a small kid cry and shout that much? Making shushing sounds, she had gotten Dan back to sleep, but not Dylan. She had taken him to the living room and spent half an hour trying to make him fall asleep again. At 8'00, he did so. But she couldn't go back to sleep just like that. So she found herself preparing some coffee and sitting in the kitchen, waiting for someone to walk in.

'So much for my free weekend,' she thought. She circled the mug with her hands, taking in the heat and shivering at the sudden change of temperature. She gently lifted the mug and took a drink of the hot liquid. As she set it back down, she continued stirring and staring at the swirls and twirls forming on the surface.

"Mornin'" She looked up from her coffee and saw a sleepy Leo walking in. He yawned and ran his hand through his hair, making it messier, if that was even possible.

"Want coffee?" she asked.

"Sure."

She was about to stand up when he stopped her. "Oh no you don't! I'm a big boy. I'll get it myself."

"Okay... Mugs are in the cupboard on your right. And the coffee is over there." She pointed towards the coffee pot next to the stove and turned back to her mug, getting transfixed in no time.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Leo asked as he sat down next to her, breaking her daze.

"Huh?"

"Plans? Today?"

"Oh... Sorry... I'm just not a morning person... At all..." She paused to pour some coffee down her throat, in hopes that it would wake her up. "But little Dylan? He apparently is..."

"I'm sorry he woke you up... I just sleep through everything..." He looked at her, at how the morning Sun filtered through the window and glistened on her hair. It looked even more beautiful with this extra light on it. Her hair was something that he had always loved. And he was glad she still kept it long. "So... When are you gonna get rid of those little monsters?"

"Monster? Who is a monster?" Piper turned her face towards the doorway and saw a sleepy Daniel slowly walking in. He was wearing his blue pyjamas and was clutching his teddy against his chest. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his right hand and blinked a few times.

"Ah ah ah ah ah! No walking into the kitchen without slippers, young man! Go back in there and get them. THEN you can come back here." Piper commanded.

"But...I... I just came from the rooooom..." he whined.

"Daniel..!" Piper warned.

"Okay! But I'm telling mom that you're being a meanie!" He stomped all the way back to the bedroom and ran into the kitchen. He was climbing onto the chair when there was a crying noise coming from the bedroom.

"I didn't do it! It wasn't me!"

Piper looked at Daniel, anger written all across her features, and stormed out to fetch her youngest nephew. She walked back into the kitchen in no time, and sat down on her chair. Bouncing Dylan on her lap, she drank the remnants of her mug and walked back out.

"What's the matter, Dyl? You want mommy? What's up, sweetie?" She asked the boy as she sat down on the couch with him. She was soon joined by Leo and a very quiet Dan. Leo sat next to her, but Dan stayed in one corner, talking to his teddy. When Dylan calmed down, Piper prepared his breakfast and sat with him in the kitchen, gnawing on a toast.

"Um... Piper?" She looked up from the floor to look at Leo. "I think you were a little...mean...to Dan before..."

"I... I know... It just took me so f-...long to get him to sleep before... And he woke him up..." She got up and walked towards the living room. "Take care of Dyl, please?"

"Sure."

* * *

"Hey, Dan." She kneeled down and looked at him. He was moving his teddy around, not wanting to look at her. "Dan? Look at me..." She lifted his head up. "Look... I'm sorry, sweetie... I just got a little mad at you because I was tired..." She paused, waiting for him to say something. He didn't. "Dylan woke me up very early today. And I was very tired..."

"Dylan always wakes everyone up very early." He muttered.

"But that's because he's little. You woke everyone up very early too. I remember when you were a baby and you stayed here overnight... You used to drive me crazy!" Dan looked up, smiled, and started giggling. "Ooooh... You liked that! So you liked driving me crazy! You little meanie weenie!!" She gently pushed him back onto the couch and started tickling him.

When she stopped, he was out of breath and looked at her. "I love you, Auntie Piper!"

"I love you too, Danny." She gently kissed the tip of his nose and picked him up. "Your mother's coming today to pick you up."

"Yay! When? When is she coming?" He leaped out of her arms and started jumping around.

"Dan, settle down! She'll have lunch with us today." She started walking around the place, stuffing the cushions on the couch, and picking up random toys scattered around the floor. When she did, she took them to the bedroom and placed them on the bed.

"Once a neat freak, always a neat freak."

"Would you stop that, Leo? I'm not a neat freak!" She stated.

"Yeah... Right..."

"Is that supposed to be sarcastic?"

"What? What I just said? Nooo.... Not at all...!"

"Okay, mister. Stop making fun of me!"

"It's fun to make fun of you!" He grinned. She looked at him and, unable to hold back a smile, grinned back.

* * *

"Mommyyyyyyy!!!" Dan ran into his mother's arms, who picked him up and showered him with kisses. "I missed you, mom!"

"I missed you too, Danny!" She kissed his head and set him down on the floor. Turning to Piper, she opened her arms and hugged her sister.

"Did he cause much trouble?"

"Not at all! He's a little angel. We had a great time, didn't we, Dan?" She looked at him and winked. He saw this and tried winking back, but his other eye would shut too. Frustrated, he gave up.

Both Piper and Prue laughed at this, and walked towards the couch and sat down.

"So... How have you been?"

"Well... I hoped that this would be my free weekend to sleep in and rest but some sisters, and I won't say who, dumped their children at my apartment and left."

"Those women are not very nice..." Prue said, pretending not to know what Piper was talking about.

"No, not nice at all... In fact, I hate them." Piper smirked at her sister and then added, "I'm joking. It's always fun to have the kids at home from time to time... Just... Don't get used to this!!"

Prue laughed and turned her head towards the corridor. "I heard footsteps... Is it...?"

"Yeah... Leo?!" Piper called, and he walked into the living room in no time. He had just come out of the shower, so his hair was wet and messy.

"Prue!"

"Leo! It's been so long since I last saw you!"

"I know... Piper and I were talking about that last night..."

"You were, huh?" Prue smirked and Piper stepped on Prue's right foot. "Ouch!"

"I mean... When I last saw you, you were kid-less and nineteen!"

"I know..." She paused. "It's good to see you again, Leo."

The sisters had always been really close to Leo. He had been their neighbour since he moved in at the age of ten, and, as he was in Piper's grade at school, they had become best friends.

"Listen... My parents phoned me before... They're in town for the day... They came to visit these friends and they want to have lunch with me... Are you going to be at home all day?"

"I... I don't know..."

"I'm just not sure when I'll be back..."

"Umm... Wait." She ran into her room and walked towards the chest of drawers. She walked back and gave him a key. "There ya go. You're staying here, so it's only fair that you have a copy of the key..."

"Thanks a bunch, Pipe!" He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

* * *

"Yummy! Auntie Piper, it was delicious!!" Dan rubbed his tummy and, after drinking some water, ran off.

"He's probably off to play..." Piper said as her sister was about to stop him from leaving the kitchen. "Um... Is Phoebe coming later on?"

"No. I'll take Dyl over to her house tonight."

"Oh... I wasn't sure about that... I was thinking I'd give him a ride and drop him at Phoebe's and then maybe go out to dinner with Leo... You know... Talk..."

"Didn't you already do that last night?"

"Yeah but... I don't know... He kept insisting that he loves me... He wants to be back with me... But to me it just seems a little too rushed... I think we should take things slowly..."

"Yeah, that's best..."

"But... After what happened last night..."

"Wait...What? What happened, Piper?"

"It... It was just a quick kiss... But I'm sure it was mostly due to the wine we were drinking..."

"You kissed him?"

"Kinda..." She paused and, grabbing a small cushion from beside her, started playing with its corners. "Being around him last night... Talking to him... He hasn't changed one lousy bit, Prue... He's still the Leo I dated... And... I guess being around him just stirred some feelings I had put aside some time ago..." She looked at her sister. "I know that I still love him... And I have missed him lots too..."

"Honey, do as you please..."

"Now... Can we change subject? Leo has only been back for less than a day and I'm already going crazy..."

"Okay..." Prue looked around, trying to think of a new topic. "Um... Andy finally met Daniel..."

"He did?"

"Yeah... We had just gotten back from dinner, and Dan was still up... His father dropped him there. I had asked Phoebe to stay at mine because Jake was going to take him home... So, when I got home with Andy, he was playing with Phoebe and Dyl in the living room."

"Jake knows about Andy?"

"Yeah, of course he does... I think... But, if he doesn't, who cares? It's not like we're married anymore..."

"You have a very good point there..."

They stayed silent for some time until Prue spoke.

"I think I better get going..."

"But it's only...four! I mean... What am I gonna do here? All alone?"

"Wow, you're much more over dramatic than the last time I saw you!"

"Shut up!"

"Make me!" Prue smiled, making Piper smile too, and walked to the door. "Danny! We're leaving! Have you packed everything up?"

"Yes, mommy!"

"Okay... I'll take Dylan... Phoebe had something to do today, so I told her I'd take him over to hers when I was on my way home." She walked along the corridor and entered the room. "Come on, Dylan. We're leaving. Say bye to Piper."

Dylan waved at Piper and leaned in to give her a big wet kiss on her cheek. Piper grinned and wiped it with her sleeve, as she tickled her nephew with her free hand.

"Bye bye, Dyl!"

"Auntie Piper...!" Dan started tugging at Piper's leg, claiming her attention. "I'm leaving too!!"

"I know, Dan..." She bent down and hugged him. "Come and visit me soon, okay?"

"Okay!" He kissed her and added, "I love you!"

"I love you too."

"Bye, Pipe. I'll call you." Prue shifted Dylan on her arms and kissed her sister, then walked towards the door.

* * *

Once they were gone, Piper sighed as she leaned against the wall. That had been a tiring weekend. She walked towards her couch and slumped down on it. Her eyes travelled around the room she was in, stopping at every photograph placed on each of the shelves. With the peace and quiet that reigned her home, she felt herself relaxing, not having kids to look after, and knowing that the only person who could come in was already an adult. She let a wave of tiredness wash over her, and she slowly drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay... You liked it? Yay? Nay? Good? Bad? Neither of those two options? What? I wanna know what you people thiiiiink! You know how to make me know what you think about the fic? It's all connected to the little button next to "Submit review", yes, the button saying "Go"... So click it and just type in your opinion! Thanks! 


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